THE CONVERSATION ECONOMY
JAMES HURMAN
APRIL 2009

60
50
40
CSR SPEND
30
20
10
0
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2002 2004 2006

“TRUST IN CORPORATIONS IS NOW AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL SINCE TRACKING BEGAN.”
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM GLOBAL SURVEY 2005
60
50
40
CSR SPEND
30
“I TRUST
BUSINESS PEOPLE
20
TO DO THE RIGHT
THING MOST OR
ALL OF THE TIME”
10
0
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2002 2004 2006
SOURCE: YANKELOVICH 2006

WHY?

THE CONVERSATION ECONOMY

PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE TIME TALKING THAN LISTENING
2500
2000
HOURS SPENT WITH
1500
BROADCAST MEDIA - TV,
RADIO, PRESS ETC
1000 HOURS SPENT WITH
DIALOGUE MEDIA -
INTERNET, CELLPHONES ETC
500
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
SOURCE: VSS FORECAST 2006

SOME SAY WE’RE HAVING TOO MANY CONVERSATIONS

SOMETIMES, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT YOU

SOMETIMES, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT YOU

SOMETIMES, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT YOU

SOMETIMES, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT YOU

SOMETIMES, THE CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT YOU

THE TRUTH IS DEMOCRATISED…

…AND SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISED…

…AND GOOGLE IS YOUR HOMEPAGE

“UP UNTIL 2002, 78% OF CONSUMERS SAID ADVERTISING WAS A GOOD WAY TO
LEARN ABOUT NEW PRODUCTS. IN THE FOUR YEARS THAT FOLLOWED, THAT
FIGURE DROPPED TO 53%.”
FORRESTER RESEARCH
2006

PEOPLE BELIEVE THE CONVERSATIONS
24% 50%
OF PEOPLE BELIEVE TRUST WHAT THEY HEAR ABOUT
COMPANIES TELL THE A COMPANY FROM THEIR
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING FRIENDS AND PEERS
SOURCE: YANKELOVICH

PEOPLE BELIEVE THE CONVERSATIONS

PEOPLE ARE HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS, WITH MORE PEOPLE, MORE OF THE TIME
THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE OFTEN ABOUT OUR BRANDS
OUR CUSTOMERS TRUST THOSE CONVERSATIONS MUCH MORE THAN THEY DO OUR
MARKETING MESSAGES

PEOPLE ARE HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS, WITH MORE PEOPLE, MORE OF THE TIME
THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE OFTEN ABOUT OUR BRANDS
OUR CUSTOMERS TRUST THOSE CONVERSATIONS MUCH MORE THAN THEY DO OUR
MARKETING MESSAGES
PEOPLES’ PERCEPTIONS OF OUR BRANDS ARE BEING SHAPED MORE AND MORE BY
CONVERSATIONS AND LESS AND LESS BY MARKETING MESSAGES

PEOPLE ARE HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS, WITH MORE PEOPLE, MORE OF THE TIME
THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE OFTEN ABOUT OUR BRANDS
OUR CUSTOMERS TRUST THOSE CONVERSATIONS MUCH MORE THAN THEY DO OUR
MARKETING MESSAGES
PEOPLES’ PERCEPTIONS OF OUR BRANDS ARE BEING SHAPED MORE AND MORE BY
CONVERSATIONS AND LESS AND LESS BY MARKETING MESSAGES
OH FUCK!

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE OUR BRANDS ARE PART OF THE CONVERSATION?

“PEOPLE DON’T READ ADS. THEY READ THINGS THAT INTEREST THEM. SOMETIMES
THAT HAPPENS TO BE AN AD.”
HOWARD GOSSAGE 1955

“PEOPLE DON’T TALK ABOUT BRANDS. THEY TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT INTEREST
THEM. SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS TO BE A BRAND.”
HOWARD GOSSAGE 2009

SUSAN BOYLE IS INTERESTING

INTERESTING INNOVATION CREATES CONVERSATION

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

INTERESTING MARKETING CREATES CONVERSATION

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?
“It’s the sort of ad I’d
talk about with friends”
NZ norm: 23%
The Big V: 73%
SOURCE: COLMAR BRUNTON 2008

HOW INTERESTING ARE YOU?

IN THE CONVERSATION ECONOMY IT’S VITAL TO BE INTERESTING

IN THE CONVERSATION ECONOMY IT’S VITAL TO BE INTERESTING
HOW DO YOU GO FROM JUST HAVING CONVERSATIONS TO MAKING THEM WORK FOR
YOU?

EMBRACE THE CONVERSATION

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

TURN THE CONVERSATION

HARNESS THE CONVERSATION

THE CONVERSATIONAL FUTURE...

THE CONVERSATIONAL FUTURE...

THANK YOU